Snow-melting machine



Sept. 9 1924.

A, LAGASSE siiow MELTING MACHINE Filed Oct. s, 1925 Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT? oFFIC-E AURELIUS LAGASSE, or FALL RIVER, msstcntsnm;

snow-Maximise MACHINE.

Application filed ctober 5,1923. SeriaI'No. 666,766. p

' Melting Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art .to which it apper' t'ains to make and use the same.

' The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of snow melting machlne adapted to be moved forwardly over a snow covered surface andenibodying a hood to receive part of the snow, means for directing some of the snow onto the top of said hood, and means for highlyheating said hood to melt'the snow within the latter, as well as that upon its top.

A further object is to provide a snow melting machine of comparatively simple construction, which may be easily attached to and operated by a motor truck.

"With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings. p I Figure 1 is a top plan view'partl in horizontal secti0n,' s owing'a snow me ting machine constructed in accordance with my invention. 7 l a 1 V I Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view as indicated by line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Figures 3 and. a are transverse sectional views as indicated by lines 3-3 and 4-4 ofFig.2. a In the drawings above briefly described, the numerall designates an elongated-transversely arched hood which is open at its bottom and partly open at its front end so as -to receive snow as the hood is pushed forward. I prefer toprovide the front end" of the hood with supporting rollers 2, while' its rear end may well be supported bythe truck which is used to operate the device. In the construction shown, a transverse bar 3isj secured to the chassis frame of the truck and is formed with reduced ends 4 which pass through openings injthe rear ends of the sidewalls 5' ofsaid hood, nuts 6 being threaded on said bar ends to pre ing the sides 5 outwardly, the entire hood maybe detached fromthe truck.

The connecting means above described between thehoodand the truck froms a otal mounting for said hood, permitting it to'be' swung upwardly whenever desired,-f0 instance, when turning corners. For so swinging the hood,j I have shown a 'pair of cables 7 connected to the front upper corners of the hood sides 5, said cables being inclined rearwardly to any suitable operatlng meanscarriedfby the truck} At its front end, the'h'ood 1 is provided with a forwardly declinedplate 8 whose upper end coincides with the hood. to'p;9. The lower end of the plate 8 is spaced above the lowermost plane of the hood and this plate is intended to direct some of thesnow onto the hood top 9, while permitting the remainder of the snow, in the path of the hood, to enterthe latter, provision being made for highly heating said-hood to melt the snow-both within the latter "and on its top 9. In most instances, Iprefer to mount an extension plate 10 on the lowenend of the plate 8, said plate 10- being adjustable downwardly" or upwardly according to thedepthof' the snow, and being entirely detachable if'desired. I haveshown lugs 11 on the-plate 10 and similar lugs 12 on the lower end of the plate 8', and adjustable braces 13 which are connected with the sides 5 of'the hood, maybe connected with the ears 11"whenthe plate 10"-is used, or with the ears '1 2 when said plate 10 isdetached.

These braces prevent bending of the plates, under the rearward thrust of the snow;-

Under the plate '8, I preferablyprovide the lower edge of said wallhowev'er being spaced upwardly I a considerable "distance fromlthe lowest plane of'the' "hood, to permitthe' snow to readily enter. The lower edge of the wall l l'is by preference provided with a vertically adjustable extension J plate 15,whioh may be raisedor lowered as desired. The wall Hand plate 15, serve,

Under: the end wall" 14; lfpreferably exi tend a transverse bar 17 across the hood 1, said bar carrying a plurality of forward- 1y extending teeth l8 for chipping frozen snow and ice, tofacilitate meltingthereof. The'bar- 17 may well be mount'ed so' th'at" it can removed, with the teeth 18, if its use is not necessary.- 1

To facilitate the rearward passage of snow along the ihclihed plate 8, onto the top of the hood 1, I prefer to employ an endless conveyor which may be of any desired construction. In the present disclosure, a front transverse conveyor shaft 19, having sprockets 20, is rotatably supported above the front endof the plate 8, by suitable arms 21 extending forwardly from the sides of the hood. A rear conveyor shaft 22 having sprockets 23, is mountedover the rear portion of the hood 1, bysuitable bearing arms 24, the sides 5 of the hoodbeing preferably reinforced b suitableplates 25., where the arms 21 ant 24 are secured to said sides. 1 I V U Endless chains 26 are trained around the sprockets and 23and carry appropriate conveyor plates 27 which areadapted to carry the snow upwardly along the plate 8 and rearwardly along the top 9 of the hood 1. To properly guide the chains 26, I preferably provide upper and lower tracks 23 and '29 secured to suitable spacers 30 which are supported bytransverse rods 31, said rods being in turn supported by arms 32 secured to the sides 5 of the hood.

Any desired means may be employed for driving the conveyor. I have shown one end of the shaft 22 provided with a sprocket wheel 33 engaged by a chain 34, said chain extending rearwardly and being adapted. to be driven by any suitable means. i A suitable clutch 35 may be provided for operatively connecting the sprocket 33 with the shaft 22, or for releasing said sprocket from the shaft, asoccasion may require. e

The hood structureis preferably'suc-h as to permit it to be readilydisassembled for compact storage if desired. In the construc-- tion shown, the numerous parts are flanged and detachably bolted together. The top 9 is preferably formed of several sections as indicated in Figs l and 2 and these sections are curved so that the topis transversely arched as disclosed in Fig. 3 to facilitate running of the melted snow water therefrom.

,To effectively heat the hood 1 to melt the snow on thetop of this hood, as well as that under the hood, I have shown liquid fueliburners 36 within the rear portion. of the hood, each burner head having a fuel pipe 37 leading from a main fuel line 38, and a compressed air or steam pipe 39 leading from a second main line 40. By mixing the fuel with air or steam under pressure, a flame is forcibly projected within the entire interior of'the hood to efficiently heat the latter to a high degree, as well as playing upon ,the surface of the snow within said. hood Obviously, suitable valves may be provided in the numerous pipes, atany de sired or convenient points.

tweet that itis properly melted' The remainingv snow under the plate 8, enters thehood 1 and the flame within the latter, from the burners 36, quickly melts such snow. Except in unusually heavy snowfalls, the hood may be moved continuously forward and.

\vill nelt the snow as it moves, the speed of travel being of course suitably synchronized with the melting ability of the device. hen unusual snow banks are encountered, it may be necessary to momentarily halt the forward movement of the device to permit complete melting of the snow within and upon the same, but such occurrences are unusual.

When it is desired to turn the truck around a corner, the cables 7 are operated to swing the entire hood upwardly, so that it does not interfere with the turning operation. It may here also be stated that if the hood is to be moved idly from one point to another, it may be swung upwardly by means of the cables so that it will clear the roadway. If desired, when it is upwardly swung in this manner, a suitable truck (not shown) may be inserted under it. Then, the hood may be detached from the front end of the motor truck, and the latter turned around. Then, the hood can be coupled in any suitable way to the rear end of the motor truck and pulled as a trailer.

As excellent results may be obtained from the detailsdisclosed, they may be followed if desired, but the present disclosure is principally for illustrative purposes and within the scope of the invention as claimed, numer ous changes may be made.

I claim:

1. A snow melter comprising a trans versely arched hood adapted to be moved along a snow covered surface, means at the front end of said hood and spaced above the lower plane thereof for directingthe upper part of a blanket of snow onto the top of said hood and leaving the. lower part of the snow blanket on its supporting surface, the front end of said hood being open below said means to cause said lower part of the snow blanket to enter said hood when the device is moved forwardly, and means for highly heating the hood to melt the snow on top of and within the same.

2. A snow melter comprisinga transvers'ely archedhood adapted to be moved along a snow blanketed surface, a forwardly declined plate at the front end of said hood having its front edge disposed in a plane above the lowermost plane of said hood for directing the upper part of a blanket of snow onto the top of said hood and leaving the lower partof the snow blanket on its supporting surface, the front end of said hood being open below said plate to cause said lower part of the snow blanket to enter said hood when the device is moved forwardly, and means for highly heating the hood to melt the snow on top of and within the same.

3. A snow melter comprising a transversely arched hood adapted to be moved along a. snow blanketed surface, a driven conveyor over the top of said hood and declining at the front end of the latter to a plane spaced above the lowermost plane of the hood, means for rearwardly driving said conveyor to carry the upper part of the snow blanket rearwardly onto said top and leave the lower part of said blanket on its supporting surface, the front end of said hood being open under said conveyor to cause said lower part of the snow blanket to enter said hood when the device is moved forwardly, and means for highly heating the hood to melt the snow on top of and" within the same.

4. A snow melter comprising a transversely arched hood adapted to be moved along a snow blanketed surface, a forwardly declined plate at the front end of said hood having its lower edge spaced above the lowest plane of the hood, the front end'of said hood being open under said plate, a driven conveyor co-operating with said declined plate to feed the upper part of the snow blanket rearwardly onto the top "of the hood, while leaving the lower part of said blanket on its supporting surface, the front end of said hood being open under said plate to cause said lower part of the snow blanket to enter said hood when the device is moved forwardly, and means for highly heating the hood to melt the snow on top of and within the same.

5. A'structure as specified in claim v2; together with an extension plate mounted adjustably on said forwardly declined plate, and a vertically adjustable plate extending across the front end of said hood under said declined plate.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1; together with a bar extending transversely across the front end of said hood and haV- ing forwardly extending teeth to break frozen snow and ice for more rapid melting.

7 A snow melter comprising a transversely arched hood adapted to be moved along a snow covered surface, a plate declin ing forwardly from the top of said hood AURELIUS LAGASSE. 

